PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.-The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team (3-5-2, 1-5-1 ECAC West) stayed even with No. 1 SUNY Plattsburgh (10-0, 5-0), but eventually succumbed to the Cardinals by a 4-1 count. Bears senior assistant captain Abby Tardelli (Potsdam, N.Y./North Country Ice Storm) kept Potsdam in the game with a career-high 55 saves. Sophomore forward Brenna Wilson (Kanata, Ontario/Ottawa Senators) scored for the Bears.
The nation’s top team was fired up from the outset, putting 20 shots on Potsdam’s senior goaltender. However, Tardelli was on top of her game, turning aside 19 chances in the first period. At the 16:28 mark, Jordan Lipson finally got Plattsburgh on the board with an even-strength tally. The score remained 1-0 after 20 minutes.
Tardelli stopped all 23 shots she faced in the second period and Wilson made the most of her chance at the midway point. At 9:22, Wilson knotted the score with an assist from sophomore forward Anna-Rose Bertin (Marathon, Ontario/CIH Academy).
Despite 13 more Tardelli stops in the final stanza, the Cardinals finally pulled away. Bridget Balisy scored the eventual game-winner at 6:28. Melissa Sheeran followed with a tally at 11:27 and Giovanna Senese closed the scoring with a power-play goal nearly four minutes later.
Plattsburgh goalie Camille Leonard finished with 11 saves to earn the win. The Cardinals were 1-for-3 on the man advantage and the Bears went 0-for-2.
The Bears return home this weekend for two games with No. 2 Elmira College. The puck drops at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
